On a Moonlit Night
by DawnWing
Summary: A mysterious girl sits in a tower and watches over Harry. Who is she?


In the silent moonlight, at the top of a stone tower thought long abandoned, the girl knelt before a pool of water. She gazed at her reflection for a moment, looked into her own deep blue eyes, then closed them. A creature that anyone would be forgiven for calling an owl sat upon her shoulder. The owl had pure white feathers which were faintly iridescent. The girl gave them an affectionate scratch.

"I, Selene Ilandere Emberlynn, accept the task appointed to me by my mother, the moon." Her voice was high and melodic, yet sad, like a dirge played upon a flute. A momentary breeze stirred her purple hair, then was still.

The girl continued. "I will with all my power watch over the Chosen one and protect him from harm. I swear this by water and by flame, by earth and air, and by my own soul. " She drew a curved silver dagger and sliced her palm, allowing a few drops of blood to fall upon the water, which began to glow. The girl stood, the wound on her hand healing before her eyes.

Selene drew her wand (willow, 11 inches long, with a single hair from a unicorn's mane lying at its' heart), said "_Patesco_ Harry Potter", and tapped the water's surface. It shifted, ever so slightly, and instead of a reflection of the girl's face it showed an aerial view of a plain-looking British suburb.

A gust of wind blew through the tower room, raising a few small ripples on the pool and blowing a sheet of paper onto the ground. In emerald ink, it read "_Dear Miss Emberlynn, we are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..._"

Selene had briefly attended Hogwarts, but for some odd reason no one there enjoyed her company. It disturbed her. Why wouldn't anyone want to make friends with one destined to be the protector of the wizard who would slay Lord Voldemort and usher in a new era of peace?

There had also been that rather indecent incident with the Giant Squid, but no one really liked to talk about it. It was just an accident, really. Even if she hadn't been expelled over that one, Selene had ways of disappearing.

She gazed into her little pool and sighed. In any case, Harry had seemed well enough protected at Hogwarts, but now was summer holiday, and Harry was in what seemed to be a terribly unhappy and undefended Muggle household. Selene, through her scrying pool, scanned the area every night, watching for foes. So far, there'd been nothing but a few shifty-eyed birds.

But wait...here was something. Selene gasped at what she saw in the pool. Five invisible Death Eaters on broomsticks! Flying directly over Privet Drive!

It wasn't happening just now, of course. Selene could scry through time as well as space; not very far, just a few hours, but it was enough warning all the same.

She turned to the owl. "Nascha, we have to move. Now! Go to the roof and take on your native form." Obediantly, Nascha fluttered out the window. Selene followed her, but by the staircase.

When she reached the roof, an Antipodean Opaleye dragon lay gleaming in the moonlight. Selene climbed onto Nascha's back and the two of them set off into the night.

∗∗∗

Nearing Privet Drive, Selene could see no sign of the Death Eaters she'd sighted. Remembering that they had been invisible, she whispered "_Acclaro Latens_," and five cloaked shapes on broomsticks were revealed as though a pair of curtains had slid away.

The Death Eaters didn't seem to have spied her yet. They flew beneath the dragon in a V-formation. At a signal from her rider, Nascha spewed crimson flames towards her enemies, which quickly darted aside.

"Go away, foolish girl! You cannot interfere with the work of our master!" Several of them shot curses at Selene, all of which missed.

The opaline dragon dove as Selene screamed "_INTERITUS!_", her voice competing with the howling wind. A stream of flame raced towards the hovering Death Eaters. Casually, almost lazily, the lead one pointed his wand at the girl and said "Avada...Kedavra..."

The flames died out as Selene toppled, fell from her faithful dragon, and splattered messily on the cobblestones far below. Nascha followed a moment later, struck down by a second Killing Curse.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Death Eaters continued onwards on business of their own, totally ignorant of whose house it was that they flew over.

The moon gazed down and sighed, knowing that her daughter had accomplished little more than waking up a few neighbours.


End file.
